Ralph Lauren quietly shuttered its two-year-old 20,000-square-foot store last week. Other brands are expected to close boutiques in a city that has lost its luster for cash-rich mainland Chinese tourists.

TOKYO HAPPENINGS: Louis Vuitton has taken over the sprawling lounge floor of a massive Tsutaya bookstore in Tokyo’s Daikanyama neighborhood. To commemorate the debut of French house’s third edition of its Tokyo travel guide, the French house has furnished the lounge with a series of mural illustrations by Ruben Toledo, a model plane and a series of antique trunks-placed under glass to make them suitable cocktail tables. The Vuitton decor will grace the floor for a few weeks.

Vuitton feted the space Friday night with an event featuring a performance by pianist Keiichiro Shibuya. Paul Smith put in an unexpected but rather brief appearance — he just happened to be in town. Model Angela Reynolds and manga artist Leiji Matsumoto, who provided a sketch of a futuristic vision of Tokyo for the guide, were also on hand. The latter gave a brief speech, talking about his love of taking off on improvised trips. “I think of life as a journey,” he concluded.

Also on Friday, Tokyo fashion week’s headline sponsor Mercedes Benz hosted a fashion week pre-opening party at its showroom and event space. Model Joan Smalls was brought over to host the event, but she was heading back to New York the following morning.

“I would have loved to see what Tokyo fashion week has to offer and see some of the up and coming talent,” Smalls said. “I love walking around [Tokyo] and being able to see what both men and women dress in. It’s very lively and super creative.”

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@rebeccaminkoff is bringing self-checkout to high fashion: The brand has partnered with @queuehop to bring its customers self-checkout options, beginning this holiday season at its SoHo store. (📷: @aurorarosephoto)